KOTA KINABALU: Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat) will be dissolved soon to enable its 64,000 members from 26 divisions throughout the State to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) that will spread its wings to Sabah.

Its President Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin (pic) said an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) will be held soon to validate and confirm the dissolution of the party.

“A special meeting of the Harapan Rakyat Supreme Council was held today (Sunday) and it was unanimously decided that all our party members join Bersatu en bloc.

“The EGM will be held once all the members have completed filling up their Bersatu membership forms.

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“We are ready to sacrifice our party because we know we can better contribute to the development of Sabah and the nation as well as fulfil the aspirations of the people through Bersatu,” he told a press conference after chairing the meeting at the party headquarters, here, Sunday.

Lajim, who is formerly Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah Chairman and left the party to form the new Sabah-based party, said Harapan Rakyat was the first that has voiced its aspiration to join Bersatu after the 14th General Election (GE14) last year.

He said they met with Bersatu Chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Nov 10 and Dec 19, last year pertaining to their intention to join Bersatu.

“In the meetings, Dr Mahathir permitted us to distribute 100,000 Bersatu membership forms to all Harapan Rakyat members as well as other Sabahans who wish to join Bersatu,” he said.

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On who will lead Bersatu in Sabah, Lajim said such decision should be left totally to Dr Mahathir who is also the Prime Minister cum Pakatan Harapan (PH) Chairman.

On the slogan “Sabah for Sabahans,” he said it is no more relevant because all local-based parties still need a party from the peninsula to win.

“This can be seen in the GE14…which local party won the general election on its own? None and, in fact, Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) also needed DAP and PKR, including Upko, to form the government.

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“This situation is the same with Harapan Rakyat when we introduced the same slogan but did not win any seat, thus the agenda is seen as not relevant,” he said. - Iskandar Dzulkifli